Automotive train



Feb.2,1943. R. w; HARRQUN 'my 2,309,766

v AUTOMOTIVE' TRAIN' v 1 Filed sepais, 1939 ls'she'@'s-sneetl AUTOMOTIVE TRAIN Filed Sept. 16, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Feb- 2, 1943. R. w. HAROUN ETAL 2,309,765

AUTOMOTIVE TRAIN Filed Sept. 16, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY.

f? 7% fw/2mg @blended Fete. `E943 AUTOMOTIVE TRAIN Ray W. llarroun and Maxwell K. lribil, Saginaw,

Mich.: said liarroun assigner of oneslxth to Helen M. llarroun, Saginaw, Mich., and said I Pribii assigner of one-fourth to Severino Pribil,

Saginaw, Mich.

Application September 16. 1939, Serial No. 295,306

l Claims. (Cl. 28o-$3.44)

This invention relates to multiewheeled towable vehicles. and more particularly to vehicles oi the close 4lmown as trailers. which are connected to und drawn by a power vehicle.

one ci the prime objects oi the invention is to provide an automotive train comprising one or more trailers and a towing vehicle, erich trailer vehicle being provided with means ior regulating the hitch load on each of the trailers and on the power vehicle.

Another object is to provide a trailer unit in cluding on adjustable load regulating means which can be regulated to facilitate the coupling end uncoupling ci the trailer from the towing vehicle.

A further object is to provide a trailer chassis unit including ineens interposed between the front end oi the trailer frame and the hitch tongue. which reacts aesinet the diierential niotion between the towing vehicle and the trailer chassis. tous stabilizing any pitching action when traveling over rough and uneven roadways.

A'. still further obiect is to provide a trailer chassis which can be attached to a power vehicle in the sonic incliner es s conventional trailer, which is en independent mobile unit when disconnected. and which can be easily parked in a limited parking space.

A further object still is to design a rugged. practical, and easily operable adjusting means, which con be economically manufactured and assembled, and which can be readily applied.

A still further object is to provide a trailer having o coupling member hingedly connected thereto with the outer end universally and detoobebiy connected to another vehicle and pron vide mean interposed intermediate the ends of tho oouplins member lor resisting the relative vertical movement between the vehicles as they travel over the roadway.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parte. hereinafter more fully de scribed, lllustroted in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it boing understood that changes maybe modo in the sise. form, proportions. and minor details oi' construction, without departing from the spirit, or seoriilclng any of the advantages oi the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is o. side elevational view oi our trailer chassis unit, the broken lines indicating the adjustment.

Fig. 2 is o top pien view thereof.

Fis. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevational view of the adjusting mechanism, the spring boing shown in section.

Fig. i is a front view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a tcp plan view illustrating the self aligning front wheel, the broken lines showing the wheel in diilerent positions. i

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, illustrating the swlveled mounting of the wheel fork.

Fig. 'l is a side elevational view showing several unlits connected together to form an automotive ra n.

Referring now more particularly to the drewings in which we have shown the preferred embodiment of our invention, the numerai 9 indicates e. pair of ground engaging wheels which are mounted on an axle I0 as usual, springs II are mounted on this axle and are provided with shackles l2 for connecting' the springs to the frame i3 in the conventional manner, the iront end of said frame being raised to form a kick-up which includes the uprights i4 connected et their upper ends by means of the cross member Il, all of which are rigidly welded together to form a rigid integral part of the main frame.

Forwerdly extending braces Iii are rigidly se cured to the longitudinally disposed side members of the main frame, and are bowed upwardly as at Il, thence extending forwardly and being welded to the member Il. A bearing structure i! is secured to these braces I8 at a point adiacent the member il by means of bolts I9, said` braces terminating in an upwardly curved neck section 2li, and for a purpose tc be presentlyv described. i

The forward end of the frame is supported by a sell aligning wheel assembly IB, the upper end of the fori: 2i being pivotally connected to the member 22 by means of the pin 2l, said member 22 being fully revolvable on the pin 2l which forms a. part of the bearing assembly.

A ground engaging wheel 2l is mounted in the fori: 2l, and we do not deem lt necessary to describe this wheel assembly in detail as it is substantially the same as that shown in Patent #2,087,299, issued to Alexis R.. Pribil under date of July 20, 193'?, and while in the present instance we have shown but one front wheel, it will be readily understood that two can be utilized if desired.

Brackets 2B are provided on the opposite sides of the main frame and are suitably bored to accommodate a transversely disposed shaft 21..

towing vehicle C by means of a. hitch tongue 2l, said tongue comprising spaced apart members 29, the front ends of which converge and are secured together by means of a coupling plate 30 provided with a socket 3| adapted to releasably accommodate a ball member 32 which is mounted on the towing vehicle C in the conventional manner, the opposite ends being formed with bearings 33 adapted to pivotally connect the hitch tongue to the shaft 21.

The adjusting mechanism is interposed between the hitch tongue and the braces- I6, which form a part of the main frame, a transversely disposed spring 34 spanning the hitch tongue and being connected to conventional shackles 35 which are rockably mounted on tubular projections 35a secured to said tongue.

A centrally disposed tubular member 36 is secured to the spring 34 and is' formed with an offset iiat section 31 which is placed in facial contact with the spring, U-bolts 38 serving to secure it rigidly in position. The adjustingmechanism can be of any desired design, and in i the present construction we utilize a threaded' screw member 33, the lower end of which is revolvably mounted in the tubular member 36 which is bored to receive it, said lower end of the screw being turned and shouldered as at 40, the extreme end being threaded to receive a nut 4I to secure the parts in assembled relation.

A yoke-shaped member 42 is pivotally mounted on the end of the neck 20 by means of the bolt 43, said yoke being formed with vertically spaced tubular threaded sections 44 and 45 respectively, adapted to accommodate the threaded section of the adjusting screw, a crank 46 being provided on the upper end of said screw to facilitate manual manipulation thereof for adjustment as desired.

Under certain conditions in actual practice, it-

is highly desirable to place a predetermined hitch load on the tow-car or relieve the tow-car of all ,of the nose load of the trailer, and this we accomplish by providing the self aligning wheel assembly as above described, and then by manipulation of the crank, the load on the tow-car can be regulated from zero to several hundred' pounds, depending upon the load and lgeneral road conditions, this also facilitates the coupling and uncoupling of the trailer from the tow-car, because the coupling can be relieved of all load by regulating the adjusting mechanism, so that there will be no strain on said coupling. Y 4

These trailer units can be readily connected together to form an automotive train, the ilexibility of each unit lending itself to this idea, so that one tow-car C can economically handle several trailers hooked together to form a train, and as clearly shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

The construction is particularly advantageous in stabilizing the pitching action between trailer units and the power vehicle as they are drawn over rough and uneven roadways by said power vehicle, such pitching action being resisted by spring 34 and the adjusting means which is interposed between the vehicle frame member 20 and the hitch tongue 23, this further prevents any so called jack kniflng of the connected vehicles when the train is traveling down hill or on a steep grade, or when the brakes are suddenly applied, under such conditions the tendency is to override the vehicle in front, and this is eliminated in the instant construction which denitely spaces the vehicles by maintaining the hitch tongue in substantially horizontal alignment with relation to the vehicle at all times.

Ready access can be had to the couplings and adjusting means for manipulation of the hitch tongue, and the weight carried can be readily distributed as desired.

It, of course, will be understood that brakes (not shown) can be provided on the trailer chassis and connected to the power vehicle in the usual manner.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that we have perfected a very simple, practical, and economical trailer having means for stabilizing any pitching action between the towcar and the trailer, and whereby the hitch load on the tow-carcan be regulated as desired.

What we claim is:

l. A trailer vehicle of the class described and comprising a wheeled main frame adapted to be connected to a'power Vehicle and provided with a raised extension, a forked hitch tongue pivotally connected to said frame at a point spaced rearwardly from the end of said extension and having universal connection with the power vehicle, shackles pivotally mounted on said hitch tongue,

a transversely disposed spring having its ends connected to said shackled and adjustable means interposed between said raised extension and said spring for spacing them with relation to each other.

2. AA trailer vehicle of the class described and comprising a main frame having rear wheels and a self aligning front wheel, a raised overhanging extension on said frame, a hitch tongue pivotally connected to said frame at a point spaced rearwardly from the front end and comprising spaced apart bar members hingedly connected to the trailer vehicle, shackles mounted on said bars, a spring spanning said tongue, with its ends connected to said shackles, and adjustable means pivotally mounted on said extension and connected to said spring for vertically adjusting said tongue and frame with relation to each other.

3. A trailer vehicle of the class described and comprising a main frame having rear wheels and a self aligning front wheel, a raised section on the main frame, a hitch tongue pivotally connected to said frame at a point spaced rearwardly from the front end thereof and comprising spaced apart bars, stabilizing means mounted on said Vehicle and comprising a transverselyjdis- 50 posed spring spanning said tongue and pivotally connected thereto, and manually adjustable means pivotally mounted on the raised section oi' the frame and revolvably connected to said spring for vertically adjusting the frame and tongue with relation to each other.

4. The combination with a powered vehicle, of a trailer unit connected thereto and comprising a wheeled frame, a raised section on said frame, a hitch tongue comprising spaced bars pivotally '60 connected to the mai frame and having universal connection with the power vehicle shackles pivotally mounted on said bars, a resilient means mounted on said tongue and connected to said shackles, and adjustable means pivotally .mounted on the frame extension and revolvably connected to said resilient means for transferring part of the trailer load to the power vehicle.

5. The combination with a power vehicle, of a trailer unit adapted to be drawn thereby and comprising a wheeled frame, a raised extension on said frame, a hitch tongue pivotally connected to the frame at a point intermediate its length, and comprising spaced bars, said bars converging and being universally connected to the power vehicle, resilient means spanning said bars, and

ascenso having shackles connected therewith, a yoke pivotally mounted on the raised extension of the main frame, and an adjusting screw connected to said resilient means and adjustably mounted in said yoke for regulating the load imposed on the power vehicle when the adjusting screw is actuated.

6. An automotive train comprising a towing vehicle and an independently mobile trailing vehicle; said trailing vehicle including a main frame, a rear wheeled truck unit and a castered iront wheeled truck unitsupporting said frame,

resilient means interposed Vbetween vthey truck vunits and the frame; a coupling member pivotally connecting the sprung frame member of the trailing vehicle to the towingvehicle; said cou? pling member comprising a forked bar having hinged connection between the forked end. of said bar and frame of said trailing vehicle; and a universal connection between the opposite endof said bar an ferential pitching action between the coupled ends of said vehicles.

d the towing vehicle; and resilient. stabilizing means interposed between said frame l, and said coupling member for resisting the dif- 7. An automotive train comprising a towing vehicle and an independently mobile trailing vehicle, said ltrailing vehicle including a main frame, a rear wheeled truck unit supporting the rear end of the frame, and a castered front wheeled truck unit connected to and supporting the front end of said frame, resilient means inl terposed betweesaid truck units and the lframe;

a coupling member pivotally connecting the .sprung framev member of said trailing vehicle to the towingV vehicle;'said coupling member comprising a forked bar having its one end con-v nected to the trailingv vehicle frame, and a universal connection between the OppOsite end of said bar `and the towing vehicle frame; and re silient stabilizing means interposed between the said frame and said coupling member for resisting the differential pitching action between the coupled ends o f said vehicles; and manually adjustable means for adjusting said stabilizing means.

RAY W. HARROUN. MAXWELL K. PRIBIL.". 

